Press Releases

Luxury tour operator Artisans of Leisure announces its 2014 Luxury Travel Gift Guide. A selection of new tours and perennial favorites, the list is sure to inspire and delight sophisticated travelers wanting the best wherever they travel. “We make it easy for gift-givers to spoil their friends and family members,” says Ashley Isaacs Ganz, founder and CEO of Artisans of Leisure... Read more...

Behind-the-scenes tours of Spain’s top soccer stadiums. Insider shopping tours of Barcelona’s design districts. A private paella-making class in a farmhouse near Valencia. These are a few of the exclusive activities included in luxury tour operator Artisans of Leisure’s newly expanded private Spain tours... Read more...

Luxury tour operator Artisans of Leisure is excited to announce the launch of new private Sri Lanka tours. The trips are filled with authentic, hands-on experiences that capture the best of the beautiful island country... Read more...

Lunch with a duchess in her seaside palazzo. A private cooking lesson with a renowned Sicilian cookbook author. Meeting a member of the Italian royalty and touring her exquisite Mediterranean garden. These are a few of the exclusive activities included in luxury tour operator Artisans of Leisure’s all-new 2014 private Sicily tours... Read more...

Artisans of Leisure selects favorite destinations for celebrating the Thanksgiving season overseas with family or friends

Every year, New York-based luxury tour operator Artisans of Leisure receives requests from travelers who want to travel overseas around the Thanksgiving holiday. For many travelers, it's an ideal time for a quick getaway with family or friends that also allows them to celebrate the tradition in a novel way... Read more...

Artisans of Leisure’s new luxury Holland tours feature best of Amsterdam and beyond

New York-based luxury tour operator Artisans of Leisure has just launched an exclusive new series of private tours in Holland with an emphasis on Amsterdam. The tours feature the very best of Amsterdam’s art, gardens, canals, food, neighborhoods and Jewish history, as well as private excursions to the most interesting destinations in the region... Read more...

Luxury travel company celebrates a decade of providing private, insider tours around the world

New York-based luxury tour operator Artisans of Leisure is celebrating a decade as the go-to travel company for affluent, sophisticated travelers. Founded in 2003, the company has always been an innovator... Read more...

Artisans of Leisure provides global assistance to travelers with special diets or food allergies

A gluten-free dinner with geisha in Japan, kosher meal delivery to hotels in Tuscany, a vegetarian dinner at an ancient monastery in Vietnam—these are a few of the recent dining experiences that Artisans of Leisure has arranged for travelers with dietary restrictions... Read more...

A private cooking class in the farmhouse kitchen of a renowned cookbook writer in Sicily, an early morning tour of a busy food market in Bali with a local chef, private wine tasting in the chateaux of Burgundy and Bordeaux, sake tasting in Tokyo with a world renowned expert, dining with a family of royal chefs in India, private cooking classes at Istanbul’s premier culinary academy—these are just a few of the unique activities featured in the private culinary tours offered by luxury tour operator Artisans of Leisure for 2011–2012. Read more...

Over 120 private cultural, culinary, family and active tours filled in Europe

Europe is the destination of choice this summer for affluent travelers, according to leading luxury tour operator Artisans of Leisure. The company’s private tours in countries across Europe—including Italy, England, France, Spain, Portugal, Russia and Turkey—are in higher demand than ever. Read more...

Luxury travelers now want extensive private tour arrangements during their international cruises

The latest trend among affluent travelers on international cruises and yacht journeys is to book extensive customized land tours during and around their cruise schedule, according to luxury tour operator Artisans of Leisure. The company has become the go-to supplier for sophisticated travelers wanting innovative cultural touring and special access in more than 45 countries. Read more...

Artisans of Leisure continues to set new standards for the luxury travel industry

Luxury tour operator Artisans of Leisure continues to innovate and influence with their masterful new blog, www.artisansofleisuretraveler.com. The blog is a rapidly growing library of first-person insider travel recommendations, interviews with international tastemakers and experts affiliated with Artisans of Leisure, and other insightful articles designed to inspire and enlighten travelers. The blog reflects what’s so unique about Artisans of Leisure and is another example of the company setting a new standard for style, sophistication and breadth of knowledge in the travel industry. Read more...

Luxury travelers can now incorporate their professional interests into their private international tours

Artisans of Leisure, the New York-based luxury tour operator, has recently introduced private activities that enable travelers to incorporate their professional interests into their cultural tours in destinations around the world. Read more...

A garbage incinerator may not be on the must-see list of every luxury traveler to Japan, but it was for recent clients of Artisans of Leisure. The New York-based luxury tour operator arranged a private tour of a beautiful, state-of-the-art incinerator—designed by the architect of the new extension to the Museum of Modern Art in New York—as part of a private cultural tour emphasizing contemporary Japanese architecture. Other recent Japan requests the company has fulfilled? Read more...

Artisans of Leisure provides access to the world's best art, architecture and design

Luxury tour operator Artisans of Leisure caters to affluent travelers who seek enriching, one-of-a-kind cultural experiences unique to each destination. These travelers often approach their journeys as collectors and connoisseurs; travel is a way for them to acquire rare experiences, such as seeing exceptional works of art, architecture and design. Responding to client demand, Artisans of Leisure has introduced an exciting new range of private excursions that focus on the best art and design of the last 150 years, from tours of Arts & Crafts homes in London to meeting contemporary art curators in Japan. Read more...

New food and wine tours, Christmas markets tours, art and antiques, Jewish heritage and more

Luxury tour operator Artisans of Leisure has just introduced 16 new private tours in Austria, Hungary, Czech Republic and Poland. The tours set a new standard for cultural depth, insider access and luxury in Central Europe, and include single-city, multi-city and multi-country tours as well as special-interest tours. Artisans of Leisure is one of the only tour operators based in the United States that offer private luxury tours in Central Europe. Read more...

Artisans of Leisure opens doors around the globe with new family activities

Your son likes anime, your daughter likes art, your husband likes history and you want time to shop—how do you plan a family vacation that satisfies everyone? Artisans of Leisure, a tour operator that is redefining the world of private luxury travel, introduces the solution: exclusive family activities that can be incorporated into any of their private international tours. The company has a universe of engaging family experiences at its fingertips and can satisfy almost any special request to accommodate families of all sizes, ages and interests. Read more...

For many affluent travelers, the opportunity to shop for unique, evocative items is the highlight of an overseas trip. Artisans of Leisure, a tour operator that is redefining the world of private luxury travel, has launched new shopping excursions that offer access to the world’s finest shops, marketplaces, designers, craftsmen and other sources of sophisticated goods. These excursions focus on items such as one-of-a-kind jewelry designs in Hong Kong, traditional cooking utensils in Andalusia and antique garden furniture in the Cotswolds. Read more...

New York, NY – Luxury tour operator Artisans of Leisure has just introduced a special optional activity available on all of their tours in India: private meals in the homes of local families. During the meals, travelers meet local people, dine on home-cooked cuisine, and learn more about the local lifestyle and customs. The homes belong to friends of Artisans of Leisure and their associates throughout India. Read more...

Private tours focus on food and wine, UNESCO sites, art and architecture, Jewish heritage, and more

Luxury tour operator Artisans of Leisure has just introduced 10 new private Spain tours for 2006. Many are special interest tours that focus on food and wine, UNESCO World Heritage cities, romantic resorts, off-the-beaten-track hilltowns, Jewish heritage, art and architecture, and Moorish Spain and Morocco. There are also regional tours and a tour of the cultural highlights of Spain. Artisans of Leisure is one of the only tour operators based in the United States that offers a comprehensive range of private luxury tours in Spain. Read more...

Cruising the canals of a Ming Dynasty “water town” and sipping tea at a hillside tea plantation are just two of the family-friendly cultural experiences featured in “China for Families,” a 14-day private luxury tour just introduced by Artisans of Leisure, the New York City-based tour operator. The tour is ideal for families wishing to explore China’s ancient attractions—spectacular landscapes, atmospheric villages and imperial wonders—as well as experience its increasing number of modern charms, such as new luxury hotels and historic buildings converted into world-class restaurants and shops. Read more...

When traveling in Japan, local knowledge is important, lest you look for a koen (a park) and find a koan (a Zen Buddhist riddle), or order a goza (reed mat) instead of gyoza (Chinese dumplings). New York City-based luxury tour operator Artisans of Leisure sets the standard for luxury travel in Japan with their Japan tours. Their Japan specialists have spent years living and traveling in the country, and they literally speak the language. They pour this firsthand experience into the design of each Artisans of Leisure Japan tour, all of which are private and fully customizable. Read more...

New luxury tour reveals the tastes and treasures of Singapore, Vietnam and Thailand

Artisans of Leisure (http://www.artisansofleisure.com/), the NY-based luxury tour operator specializing in private, tailor-made international tours, has just introduced “Flavors of Southeast Asia,” a 16-day tour sure to tempt all lovers of Asian cuisine— from “foodies” to chefs. The tour journeys into the spice markets and frying pans of Singapore, Vietnam and Thailand, where travelers experience local culture through not only their eyes and ears, but also their mouths and stomachs. The tour is private and departs daily throughout the year; Artisans of Leisure particularly recommends winter (November–April) as the ideal time to visit Southeast Asia because the weather is sunny and dry, and food and festivity abounds. Read more...

Couples design their perfect honeymoon through luxury tour operator; friends and family help pay

Artisans of Leisure, the NY-based luxury tour operator specializing in private, customized tours in Asia, Australia, Europe and India, now offers a Honeymoon Registry. Honeymoon couples plan and book their dream honeymoon, and their friends and family members contribute to the cost. Read more...